


About Brothers and Best Friends

by Quagswagging



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: A+ Parenting, Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Gen, Hugs, M/M, Multi, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 15:51:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15844497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quagswagging/pseuds/Quagswagging
Summary: “Because of Jos, I lost my best friend. Don’t let him take your little brother away too.”Daniel is worried when Max starts pushing him away.His worry only increases when Carlos comes to him, and tells him the same has happened between him and the Dutchman.The problem? Jos.





	About Brothers and Best Friends

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to write some non slash Maxiel and Carlos/Max, and in the end just decided to combine it all into this piece :3

Daniel watched his younger teammate scurry around at the other side of the garage, his head down slightly as his father walked with him. It made Daniel frown, seeing the way Max seemed to almost cower away from his dad. He wanted to go over to the Dutchman, but he doubted Max wanted him to.

Ever since the start of the season, their friendship had been more strained, which was more than confusing to Daniel considering their easy interactions from the year before. He wasn’t sure what had changed, or what he had done wrong to deserve Max turning him away like this. Max still interacted with him when they had to film videos for Red Bull, but besides that, Max seemed to avoid Daniel at all costs.

Max looked up and saw Daniel looking at him, and quickly averted his eyes. Jos looked up at well and spotted the Aussie, his eyes narrowing before he told Max something and pushed him further away from his teammate. Max glanced at Daniel over his shoulder, his eyes wide and sad, but walked away, his father’s hand heavy on his shoulder.

~~

Daniel was surprised when Carlos walked up to him after the race, looking a little hesitant as he eyed the Aussie at first, but then his face set into a more determined look. 

“Daniel, you need to talk to Max.” the Spaniard started. Daniel frowned and huffed.

“Believe me, I’ve tried.” he answered. Carlos pursed his lips a little, his hands on his hips, and at that moment the young Spaniard really looked an awful lot like Fernando.

“You don’t understand. Max wants you close, he cares about you. But his father…” Carlos switched to Spanish for a string of what Daniel was pretty sure were only curses. “He did the same when me and Max were teammates. We were friends, but his father made him push me away.” Carlos lowered his eyes a little, his shoulders sagging. Daniel frowned. He had already guessed Jos had something to do with, but he hadn’t realised he had done it before. 

“I don’t know what to do about it. He won’t even let me come close enough to talk.” Daniel said. Carlos let out a shaky breath.

“Just try, okay? Just- text him, I don’t know… but try please.” Carlos said, brown eyes wide. Daniel could only nod wordlessly. Carlos let out a sigh and nodded in return, before turning on his heel to leave. After a few steps he stopped and turned to face Daniel again, his eyes filled with tears.

“Because of Jos, I lost my best friend. Don’t let him take your little brother away too.” he choked out, before walking away. Those words hit him hard. He did see Max as his little brother, and he couldn’t bare seeing the younger man hurt like this, and to think he could lose Max like Carlos had….

He shuddered, and took out his phone as he walked back to his driver room, ready to type out a message to his teammate.

“Hi Maxy, just wanted to say that if you need someone to talk to, I’m here, okay?” he hesitated before hitting the send button. Passing Max’s room before going to his own, he saw Jos in the doorway, glaring at Daniel as he passed. Max was sitting on the couch, almost shyly looking up from his phone to make eye contact with Daniel. Daniel offered him a small smile before going into his own room, putting on his headphones as he tried to relax.

That’s how he missed Jos’s raised voice, who demanded to see Max’s phone. Max shook his head at first, clutching the device to his chest, but his father simply grabbed his wrist, fingers digging into his skin almost painfully tight until Max let go. 

“Who texted you.” Jos growled, looking through the messages before settling on Daniel’s. He chuckled humorlessly.

“You really think he cares? You’re even weaker than I thought.” Jos snarled. Max averted his eyes, hands folded in fists on his lap. He knew his father was deleting the message, maybe even blocking Daniel’s number, and there was nothing he could do about it. He felt tears come to his eyes, realising that if this went on, he would lose Daniel. He was already losing the Aussie at his teammate at the end of the year, and if his father kept interfering like this, he would lose his brother too.

~~  
It was already late at night, but Daniel couldn’t sleep. He was worried about Max. He had seen the Dutchman had seen the message, had even started to type an answer, but the answer had never been send. Daniel wasn’t sure whether it had been because Max simply didn’t want his help, or if Jos had interfered. 

There was a knock at his door and Daniel went to open, expecting one of his engineers with more documents, as if he didn’t have enough to read already, so he didn’t exactly look happy as he opened the door. 

Max seemed to get a little flustered by Daniel’s expression, immediately moving away from the Aussie when he saw Daniel’s frown.

“I-I sorry… Wrong room…” he muttered, turning to leave. Daniel quickly caught his wrist.

“Max…” he said softly. Max’s bottom lip started to tremble and he quickly averted his eyes.

“I-I got your message… but my dad… he deleted it, blocked your number, I’m so sorry Daniel!” he blurted out suddenly. He brought his eyes back up to look at Daniel, looking close to crying. Daniel tried to smile comfortingly.

“It’s okay, Maxy.” he said softly. Some tears spilled over Max’s cheeks, his breathing quickening

“Daniel…” he sobbed out desperately. Daniel reached out for him, pulling him into his arms and into his room so he could close the door behind them. the Dutchman clutched onto him, his cries sounding desperate as he snuggled close to the Aussie. 

“I’m so sorry…” Max choked out. Daniel gently rocked him, kissing the top of Max’s head. The fast, shallow breaths Max was taking in concerned himl.

“It’s okay sweetheart, it’s okay.” he soothed gently, rubbing Max’s back as he hoped for the Dutchman’s breathing to slow. 

“My dad… he kept telling me you didn’t care, that you were only using me so I would not work against you in the team.” Max choked out. Daniel took in a sharp breath.

“I would never do that, Max.” he said softly. Max sniffled and nodded.

“I know now. I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have ignored you like that.” Max choked out. Daniel tightened his hold a little.

“Ssh, I understand, I really do.” he said softly, kissing Max’s temple.

“My dad… He’s back at my hotel room, I’m scared…” Max whispered brokenly. Daniel’s jaw tensed a little.

“Stay here then. I’ll keep you safe.” Daniel answered. There was no way he was going to let Max, his little brother, go back to that asshole. Max let out a desperate sob, pressing his face in the crook of Daniel’s neck. No one had ever protected him like this.

“T-thank you…” he choked out. Daniel sighed, kissing the top of Max’s hand. 

“Maxy?” he said softly as Max relaxed. Max nodded.

“Yeah?” he murmured. Daniel sighed.

“You should talk to Carlos too, he really misses you.” he said eventually. Max let out a strangled breath at the mention of the his former best friend’s name.

“I miss him too.” he murmured in answer. A small smile tugged at Daniel’s lips.

“Come on, you look exhausted.” he said, leading Max over to the bed. Max cuddled against his side, still trembling slightly as Daniel hugged him.

“I really didn’t want to push you away like that, neither you or Carlos. But my dad… He said that friends, especially when they are your rivals as well, are only a distraction and not real. No other driver would care for me, only trick me into helping them…” Max whispered. Daniel rolled onto his side so he could look at the younger man.

“We would never trick you like that. That’s not what family does.” Daniel said firmly. Max’s big eyes widened even more. 

“F-family?” he whispered. Daniel chuckled, ruffling Max’s hair.

“Of course. Formula 1 is a weird family to be a part of, but it’s not bad at all.” he said softly. Max smiled hesitantly. 

“Might be better than my actual family.” he whispered. Daniel smiled in sympathy, kissing Max’s forehead as the Dutchman cuddled close.

“We’ve got you.” 

~~

A couple of days later, Daniel headed for Max’s driver room, wanting to see if he was okay. Jos was now banned from attending the races, and Max seemed relieved, but also a little lost at times.

When Daniel walked into the room, he smiled softly at what he saw. Max was fast asleep on the sofa, cuddled up against Carlos’s side, the Spaniard’s arms securely wrapped around him. Carlos sleepily glanced up at Daniel when the Aussie entered and smiled softly.

“I take it you two finally talked then?” Daniel said quietly, sitting down on Max’s other side. Carlos nodded, resting his cheek against the top of Max’s head. 

“Thank you.” he told Daniel, before snorting as Max snored and tiredly pulled Carlos closer. Max’s eyes fluttered open and he smiled when he saw Daniel, clumsily reaching out to grab Daniel’s wrist. 

“Hi.” he muttered, before his face scrunched up in a yawn. Carlos rolled his eyes and Daniel reached out to ruffle Max’s hair. He had noticed that now that Jos was gone, the bags that been ever present under Max’s eyes had started to lessen, and Max looked a lot healthier. Max grinned, contently cuddling in between the two men. 

“Comfy.” he murmured. Carlos let out a shaky breath, his arms only tightening around the Dutchman, making Max squeak.

“Carlito… Crushing me…” Max wheezed out, making Carlos smile sleepily, and loosening his hold around Max a little. 

“Sorry Max.” he chuckled. Max smiled up at him.

“It’s okay.” he answered softly. They both turned to Daniel now, the Aussie seeming to be dying to hug Max as well. Carlos scooted closer so Max was snuggly squeezed in between him and Daniel, the Aussie wrapping an arm around both younger men to keep them close. Max looked up and smiled gently at Daniel.

“I’m glad I didn’t lose my brother.” he said softly, a light blush dusting his cheeks. Daniel grinned, ruffling Max’s hair. 

“Me too.” he answered gently. Carlos let out a grumpy noise, making Max smile and turn back to him, wrapping his arms around Carlos’s neck in a bone-crushing hug. 

“And I’m glad to have my bestfriend back.” he whispered, making Carlos grin in return.

Max sighed. He’d be okay.


End file.
